Your questions answered
Wedding bells
Q
I need to stitch a
wedding sampler for
the daughter and future
son-in-law of a friend of mine.
Everything I’ve found is very old
fashioned. I need something
that’s not too modern, but
that reflects a relaxed country
wedding. Can you help?
Janice Evans, Pembroke
A
Jo: Every country
wedding has bunting,
doesn’t it? This charming
design can be bought from
http://www.enchanted-needle.co.uk
THE EXPERTS
JO BENNER
Jo is an experienced
stitcher and knitter, who
writes for several craft
magazines. She’s on
hand to help with chart
queries and stitching
know-how, as well as
product questions.
FIONA BAKER
Fiona is the Technical
Editor for Cross Stitch
Gold and our sister
magazines. She is
a talented cross stitch
designer, too, and can
answer any of your
stitching queries.
HEATHER NUGENT
Heather is the Charting
Editor for Cross Stitch
Gold and our sister
magazines. With a
passion for stitching and
sewing, she is here to
help with charting and
making-up questions.
for £25 and there
are two colourways to
choose from: lavender
and lace, or pink and lime
(shown below). The kit has
everything you need to stitch
it, including 16-count aida,
threads, seed beads and
sequins. It has a finished size
of 38x13cm (15x5in).
Vintage purse
Q
I have seen a little coin
purse made up of a
piece of vintage cross
stitch. It looked fabulous and as
I have an unframed piece just
sitting there, I thought I would
have a go at making my own
purse. Could
you tell me where
I can find a purse
frame, and do you have
any tips on how to do it?
Chrissie Rodgers, Penzance
A
Heather: Purses are very
easy to make, so long as
you have some strong
glue and thread to match
your project. You can buy this
8cm-wide brushed-brass clasp
for £7.55 from http://www.cc-craft.
co.uk. The clasp comes with
detailed instructions and
there are masses of tutorials
to help you. The most
important step is to wash
Q
I don’t have a
problem seeing to
stitch, but I do find
reading charts a little difficult.
I know a lot of stitchers like
to have a magnifier that they
attach to a hoop or have
around their neck, but I’m
after a handheld one
with a light in it. My
old one broke as
it was a bit
flimsy,
but it did the job. Can you
find me another one that
will last a little longer and
preferably have batteries that
can be changed!
Danielle Longhurst, Folkestone
A
Fiona: Visit http://www.
hobbyandcraftshop.
co.uk and take a look
at the PURElite hand-held
magnifier (£7.99). It has an
integrated LED for colour
matching and three-times
magnification, while the
close-up lens has a five-times
magnification. It’s perfect for
all your needs and yes, the
two little AAA batteries
can be changed!
HAND-HELD HELP
and dry your cross stitch and
press it before cutting out.
Use the template included in
the pack to cut it out, and you
will also need a backing piece
from another fabric. A bit of
This magnifier is suitable for
all crafts, as well as reading
maps and small print
Included in the kit is a chart for letters
and numbers to personalise the sampler
Check out http://www.cc-craft.co.uk
to see the different projects you
can make with this clasp
Ask the experts
Send your questions to [email protected] or Ask the experts,
Cross Stitch Gold, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST